Happy Dr. Seuss Day, everybody. In honor of the famed children’s author’s special day, I thought I’d highlight a favorite of his books. It will likely come as no surprise to you that it’s The Foot Book.

Yes, The Foot Book, perhaps not the deepest of Seuss’ works, but a great one for a Houston podiatrist to play around with. In the text of the story, Seuss explores opposites: Left foot, right foot; day feet, night feet.

If you’ll humor me for today only, I’ll explore a few foot conditions ‘ripped from the headlines’ of this wacky little picture book.

Wet Foot – Yes, it’s the opposite of dry foot, but having wet or sweaty feet can pose some foot health issues as well. Dampness can breed fungus, especially between the toes; fungal growth on your feet can lead to the painful itching of athlete’s foot which should be treated quickly to avoid spread and further complications (especially if you’re diabetic).

Red Feet – Dr. Seuss imagined a world where every color of foot was normal, but in our realm, red, cracked feet are a sign of overly-dry skin. Take care to properly moisturize parched feet to avoid heel fissures (cracked heels). Red spots on a diabetic’s foot may also indicate an injury. If you notice a red foot patch during a daily foot check, make sure to discuss it at your next doctor’s appointment.

Black feet—Do you have a callus on the bottom of your foot that appears to have a black center? It could be a plantar wart! Plantar warts are manifestations of a virus that has entered your body, probably through cracks in your skin; they hurt and they are contagious. There are many over-the-counter wart treatments available, but, unfortunately, they aren’t strong enough to stop the spread of these tricky growths. See your podiatrist as soon as you notice a wart, so it can be treated conservatively before its growth necessitates more aggressive interventions.

There are many more gems of wisdom we could pull from the many writings of Dr. Seuss, but I think these will have to suffice for today. If you think you have any of the Seuss-predicted foot conditions I’ve discussed in this post, come see me at Tanglewood Foot Specialists and we’ll get you taken care of quickly and expertly.